ABOUT US

We are a registered RecSports organization of the University of Texas at Austin. We are also the Austin branch of the Japan Karate Association and a member dojo of the American Amateur Karate Federation Southwestern Region. We teach Shotokan Karate to any member of the UT community who is interested: students, faculty, or staff. No prior experience is necessary to learn with us. Karate is an art full of tradition and we do take our study very seriously, but that does not mean that we don't have fun while doing it.

Our parent dojo is JKA Dallas headed by Dr. Alex Tong Sensei and Brad Webb Sensei. Their head sensei and the main sensei of JKA USA is Hidetaka Nishiyama based in Los Angeles. Student dues are $40 per semester plus the one time fee for a uniform. We have official JKA testing done according to the JKA's schedule. Testing is done either in Austin or in Dallas.


TRAINING

Practices are generally broken down into three parts: kihon, kata, and kumite.

  • Kihon consists of basic techniques. This includes punches, kicks, strikes, and stances. Here, the practitioner learns how to properly perform the techniques that make up Shotokan karate.

  • Kata are pre-arranged forms. They take what a student has learned in kihon and put it together into a routine where a student performs the movements against imaginary opponents. The kata get more difficult and involved as a student progresses through rank. The kata originated in Okinawa and have been passed down and changed through the generations.

  • Kumite is sparring done with a partner. Sparring ranges, depending on skill level, from pre-arranged basic three-point sparring to the more advanced free sparring.

    As well as practicing with the rest of the class, beginners are given time individually with senior students. It will take a beginner at least 3 months to get the first orange belt, after which each progressive rank will take a bit longer. It can take at least 4 years of continuous training to get the first black belt, but most likely takes longer.



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